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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · pop · staff · wind · board · game · object · mark

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. object — to protest
  17. board — a committee
  18. staff — a stick
  19. object — an aim
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com